Homecoming
by Azulia
Summary: Kagome returns to the Feudal Era after eight years with no memory of the time she spent there as a teenager. InuKag MirSan SessRin
1. Unrequited

**Homecoming**

**by Azulia**

**A/N**- Well, hello my lovelies! Back again? Welcome to this brain child of mine. It's been all plotted and ironed and now just needs writing. I hope you enjoy it! But, beware before you read, there are some things you need to know about this story before your eyes stray any lower down the page.

This assumes that right after Naraku was defeated by the group, Kagome was forced to go home and stay there forever.

It also assumes that Kohaku was not fixed.

…Gosh, I thought there was more than that, but I can't recall.

Hmmm, I'll get back to you on this.

I was working on another little ditty, but I can't seem to find where it went to. Huh. Oh well, there's many more words where these came from. Maybe I'll get that out….yeah, but I wouldn't hold your breath though.

Mkay, let's do this, kids.

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~0~

It was a beautiful day in the Feudal Era. The air was crisp and sweet, the skies blue and clean. Through the soft breeze there were notes of children playing and men coming in from the fields as wives and mothers began the evening meal. It was surreal and simple. A picture of a different time, a small window when there was no one left to fight no new power had gained to threaten the good people of Kaede's village. It had been several years since the downfall of Naraku. To the inhabitants of the small village it was merely a forgotten nightmare, but to those who had fought on the front lines, it was a wound still fresh.

"Miroku," Sango said in her usual calm demeanor, a little outside the murmuring of the others. "I cannot love you the way you want me to, not while Kohaku suffers. I must dedicate myself fully to him before I can commit to another."

The demon slayer sat quietly with her hands folded in her lap and her eyes cast downward. It was her way of showing that she was not proud of her choice, merely resigned to it. It looked like something that she had said many times. Miroku, the monk, merely hung his head with a bittersweet smile on his face.

"As you wish, Lady Sango," he bowed slightly with a step back. "However, I will remain your faithful servant until your answer is more to my liking."

Sango glanced up at him through her thick lashes. The way she would make eyes at him seemed reminiscent of love struck girl-child, not that of a hardened war veteran. He could see her beauty, while others might have been intimidated by it. A pure and proud love showed in his eyes when he would watch her and his guard would slip. This was one of those moments. Her eyes were not filled with the same tenderness, but instead they were heavy with tears.

"That is what I am afraid of, you fool lecher," Sango murmured under her breath as he finally turned to walk away, realizing that her answer was not about to spontaneously change. She watched him go. He would not be back for several days. She would miss him terribly.

As his back shrank to her, her body trembled slightly. She acted as if she could feel a part of herself tearing away and going with him. The heavy tears finally fell to her cheeks and down into the dirt when she thought he was too far away to see them. It was a luxury to cry freely. Sometimes she would have to hold in all the ache until the deepest part of the night when everyone was too far asleep to be bothered by her weaknesses. It was her burden, and she was set on bearing it in solitude.

Sango sat a minute, giving enough time to gather her appearances. She smoothed out the wrinkles of her favorite pink kimono and pulled back the little stray hairs that had escaped from the others.

Time would heal these wounds, she was sure. It might not be the life she had always dreamed of, but it was the only one she had to live.

"Kohaku," she whispered softly, wishing to herself.

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~0~

"Are you excited, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked as he approached the tree where the half-demon was sitting casually, looking into the sky.

"About what?" Inuyasha replied dully as the monk came to a stop below him.

"Fall is almost here," Miroku said, following Inuyasha's eyes to the clouds.

"Why would I be excited about that?" Inuyasha growled, his eyes darting back to earth.

"Ah," Miroku said with a smirk. "Then the season will finally match your mood! Cold and gloomy."

Inuyasha snorted and did not respond. There was a long silence.

"Sango has rejected me again," Miroku admitted after a minute. As soon as he said them, the words hung between the two males like a silent bond.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Inuyasha said more softly then he often allowed. Miroku smiled a bitter smile. Both men were well versed in the language of lost love. Inuyasha especially, he'd lost the love of his life twice. Miroku, on the other hand, was hoping to just get his once and do it right the first time. Miroku tended to handle the heartache better than Inuyasha because he still had hope. For Inuyasha there was no hope, just memories. Perhaps that was why the half dog demon was always so cranky and snappish. He hadn't been the same since he lost her. Miroku had learned from the others mistakes.

"Oh, my friend," he said thickly. "I set myself up for these things; I knew her answer before I even asked. I'm a fool Inuyasha. It's because I know she would be with me if she could, but the cause of her rejection has not changed, or her answer because of it."

Inuyasha plucked a large green leaf from a branch in front of him and looked at it hard.

"You're not a fool," he told Miroku, not taking his attention from the leaf. "You'd only be a fool if you gave up."

Miroku snorted. "If I am not a fool, then I am at least foolish."

Inuyasha jumped down as Miroku spoke.

"I guess you're in good company then," Inuyasha murmured under his breath as he flicked the leaf away.

"Why Inuyasha," Miroku said with mock surprise. "You have decided to grace me with your presence? I'm honored!"

Inuyasha scoffed and gave the monk a little push. "You need all the help you can get."

"You're probably right," Miroku said with a shrug.

Miroku started walking and Inuyasha followed him. It was a familiar path, one that their little group had walked innumerous times. Every curve and upturn was known to them. So many times they had taken it, and every time they had never ended up at exactly the same place. It was strange to think of the places they had been to and the things they had done. What remarkable circumstances set into motion by Naraku fifty years ago. And now, here they were.

Most of them anyway.

"So, where are we going?" Inuyasha asked nonchalantly.

"Oh, to a town two days away," Miroku replied. "They've sent word to have their homes prayed over after a terrible sickness went through."

"Sounds pretty boring," Inuyasha replied, looking off into the distance. Miroku laughed and looked at his friend.

"It will be very boring,'' Miroku stated with a bit more of his old self. "However, it is the right thing to do and it gives me the opportunity to leave the rest of life's uncertainties behind."

"I don't know where I could go that would make me leave this mess behind," Inuyasha remarked bitterly, kicking a large piece of rock out of the path.

Miroku looked at Inuyasha out of the corner of his eye. As hopeless as his situation with Sango was, he had hope that maybe someday they could find a way to help Kohaku and finally be together. Inuyasha, however, did not have the luxury of seeing his loved one on a regular basis. He had to live with mere memories of what he had once upon a time. The idea that Kagome would ever come back was almost as ludicrous as Naraku coming back.

"Just as nothing good lasts forever," Miroku told Inuyasha patiently. "Just as nothing bad will last forever, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha snorted.

"Keh," he said, his eyes downcast. "Whatever, Monk."

Miroku smiled.

"There are many anomalies in life, Inuyasha," the monk said surely. "But know this, as long as I and Sango and the others have a place in this world, you too will have a place among us."

Inuyasha looked pleased at the words, despite his best efforts to hide it.

"Inuyasha, you blush like a woman!"

Inuyasha glared at him.

"You talk like one, Miroku."

"We could learn a lot from the fairer sex," Miroku said, looking down at his hand where a curse once lay. To the untrained eye it might look like he was thinking of his wind tunnel. Inuyasha knew he was just thinking of all the things he had groped with it.

Inuyasha just rolled his eyes and they kept walking.

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~0~

"Don't you want to play?" Shippo asked enthusiastically to Kohaku as he jumped over what appeared to be a pile of sticks.

"Not really," Kohaku said, not looking at the young kit. Shippo had heard the rejection many times before, but it never stopped him from asking again. Kohaku was resolute in his inability to get past what had happened. Not that he remembered much that occurred with Naraku, he didn't. He did vividly recall massacring his family. No one knew exactly how, Kaede thought it was from the frequent nightmares he suffered from. Sango saw to him as best she could, and Miroku would occasionally bring him back trinkets from his ventures, but for the most part he was content to sit in his solitude and ignore them all.

"Aw, c'mon Kohaku," Shippo said, bounding toward him. "It's fun!"

Kohaku cast Shippo a dark look. Where Miroku and Sango had applied themselves to Kohaku, Inuyasha had applied himself to Shippo. It seemed that, despite the young trickster having the least likely of mentors, he was the one possessing more sympathy and good humor. His constant faith in his friend's little brother was testament to the success of the half-demons attention.

"I'm not in the mood for fun right now," Kohaku answered lowly. He was typically rather surly. Shippo typically chose to ignore the glum nature of the young demon slayer. He beamed.

"Young Shippo," interrupted Kaede from her hut. "Should ye not be preparing to go be with the other fox demons?"

Shippo glanced at the older woman. "I don't have to be there until this afternoon."

"And why aren't ye off with Inuyasha, then? I thought he was teaching ye to hunt."

Shippo shrugged. "He left with Miroku this morning."

Kaede looked between the young boys, both so different from each other. One was bright and bubbly, the other dark and grim.

"Why don't ye assist me in the garden then, Shippo?" Kaede asked calmly. "I need young eyes to see the weeds."

"Oh," Shippo said looking out into the day as if he would rather be playing than gardening. "Alright, I'll help."

"Thank ye, Shippo."

Kaede turned and started walking around the outside of her hut. Shippo followed dutifully. The old miko kept her garden in the back, behind her hut. There was a little plot of land with herbs, foods and flowers. She even had a little fence up to keep out various animals and people. It was small, but functional. Many of her plants were used in her remedies. She was trying to teach Kohaku and Shippo a bit about the healing arts, but both seemed more interested in other things. Shippo had his fox studies, which he enjoyed and excelled at. Kohaku, on the other hand, was too preoccupied with his guilt to be much use to anyone. Despite this, he did attempt to be useful by doing many chores. Although he was clearly at a loss with his own demons, he tried to not add any more to his sister's burden.

"Tis a funny thing today," Kaede said to Shippo as they knelt in the first patch that needed tending. "The wind speaks of great things coming to us Shippo. If ye listen ye can hear it whisper-"

Shippo looked up from where he had just massacred the first bunch of weeds. It was windy out, that was true. It ruffled his fur as it swept through. No whispering though.

"Did you get into the wrong tea again today, Kaede?" he asked, remembering the last time she had.

Kaede knocked him upside the head with a trowel-like gardening instrument. "No, young kit," she said with a straight face. "Great things, I can feel them."

Shippo looked at her a long time. He had a fond spot for the old woman and didn't want to watch her deteriorate in front of him. She had been forgetting things and acting strangely a lot lately. He was starting to wish he had gone to face the sickness with Miroku and Inuyasha.

"Alright," he said as he pulled at the ground with more fervor. "Great things, Kaede. Got it. I'll keep an eye out."

"See that you do," Kaede wisely advised as they both continued to work in silence.

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*Fall is my favorite season!

**A/N**-Fox Magic, my other story, is on hold. Originally I wanted to revert Inuyasha to his child form to see what kind of chaos would ensue when Kagome had to look after him. Now I think that it would be too much like the MTV tv show Teen Mom, lol. Anyway, I will either salvage it and make Kagome the one that reverts to her child-self, or scrap it.

I hoped you like this story so far. It is one of the few little guys I have outlined right out until the bitter end. Next chapter coming as soon as I can type it. Luv you guys, leave me a tasty review if you like my stuff.

Oh, and hey, if there are any awesome InuKag recs you guys have, I'd love to read them. I feel like I can't find any that suit me lately. Catch you later!


	2. Packages

**Homecoming**

**by Azulia**

**AN**- Kagome and her family lost all memory of Inuyasha and Kagome's time in the Feudal Era when she was forced to return to modern Tokyo, in case that isn't clear.

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~0~

_Modern Tokyo _

It was just the two of them now. Three, if you counted Buyo. Gramps had a heart attack right before Kagome finished high school. Mama had been sick for a long time. They had put her in her final resting place six months ago. It was very hard. They were still adjusting.

"Souta," said Kagome as she brandished her spatula like a pointer. She was still perfecting breakfast. Mama had always made it look so simple. "No books at the table."

Souta looked up at her over the top of the binding. He seemed a little stressed.

"Sis, I have to study for this final tonight," he said as he marked his page. "This professor is an asshole; he always adds an essay question at the end of the exam over some obscure historical event, to make sure you've read the book."

Kagome smiled as she began plating the eggs. She had that professor her freshman year. She had to take his class twice.

"I'm sure you will be fine, Souta," she said, giving him a little more than herself. "You probably know more about history than he does, the way you obsess over it."

Souta smiled at her. It was true. He had this obsession with history. It was what he was going to university for. He had been strangely drawn to it since he was a kid. It was a little odd. Reading things about the past…it just made him feel prepared. Like history could repeat itself at any second and he would need to have the knowledge close by.

"Eat your breakfast," she told him as she sat down. "Then I'll help you review, okay?"

It was Friday and she was off. Kagome worked as a nurse at a nearby hospital. Losing her father and grandfather had been hard, but it wasn't until she watched her mother struggle with an incurable rare disease that she decided her calling in life. She truly enjoyed helping others, and people seemed to respond well to her. The hours were good; she worked 40 hours Tuesday through Thursday and made enough to support her and her brother while still keeping the shrine open.

"Is Hojo taking you out tonight?" Souta asked through a mouthful of food.

"We are supposed to go to the movies," Kagome said, pushing yellow bits around her plate and through some ketchup. "I think I'd rather stay home, though."

Souta gave her a disapproving look.

"Come on, Sis," he said with disapproval. "I thought you were going to, you know, work on that."

Kagome looked down at the ring on her left finger. Mama had been so happy when she told her…but after she died, something just didn't feel right about the whole thing. When she expressed herself to Hojo he had been very understanding. They had moved the wedding back a year and were going to try taking things slow.

"I know," she said dully. "Hojo is perfect, he really is…I just don't know if he's perfect for me. That's all."

Souta snorted. "He is a charming, good looking guy from a rich family. He's perfect for just about anybody."

Kagome smiled. That was what everybody said, just not as directly as Souta. And it was true.

"Well," she said defensively. "It's not like I'm dumping him or anything."

"You better not," Souta said jokingly. "Little brother wants to take his new girlfriend to the beach house next weekend."

Kagome rolled his eyes. "I can't believe Hojo's parents let you use that whenever you want. I don't know how you charmed them."

Souta wiggled his eyebrows. "It works on the ladies, too."

Kagome threw her napkin at him as she collected the dished. "You are such a player," she joked.

"You're either a player or a player hater." he retorted with a shrug as she walked away.

Just as she turned on the water, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," said Souta as he pushed his chair out. Kagome filled the sink with bubbles and started wiping down the table. She could hear the voices of a man and Souta as she cleaned. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"Sis!" Souta called after a minute. "Can you come here for a second?"

"Coming!" Kagome took off her apron and smoothed out the winkles on her light blue dress. She pulled her hair back into her typical braid as she went; she wanted it to look nice in case it was someone wanting to do business with the shrine.

When she got to the door, she stopped in her tracks.

"H-hello?" she asked uncertainly, stepping next to Souta. The man who stood there was very tall. He had long white hair that was pulled back into a low ponytail. His eyes were amber colored and he was wearing a cream colored suit. She found herself thinking that he was oddly beautiful for a man, but he also looked oddly deadly.

"Hello, miko," he said, with a small smile. "It's been a long time. I have a present for you, from my brother."

Kagome wasn't sure what to say.

"Do you know this guy, Sis?" Souta asked when she didn't respond.

"Yes?" she asked. "Wait, no. Well, I don't think so. But you seem so familiar. What is your name, Sir?" she asked the stranger.

He raised an eyebrow at her in a way that told her that he found her fascinating, but strange.

"You don't remember me?" he asked, clearly amused. "You knew me as Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands."

Souta looked between the man and his sister. "Alrighty, I think we should all just call it a day then, shall we?" He began to shut the door.

Before Kagome could protest, the man shot out his hand, stopping the door with such force he knocked the hinges out of the wall. The door fell to the floor with a thud.

Sesshomaru looked at the door with distaste. "My apologies."

Kagome said nothing. Souta put an arm in front of his sister, as if defending her. Sesshomaru noticed.

"How quaint," he said mildly. Then, from seemingly out of nowhere he produced a large, long object wrapped in cloth. He put in front of them with a flourish.

"This," he said, nodding at the package, "is the Tetsaiga. It is a powerful weapon that belongs to my brother. It is now yours. Use it **well**."

Kagome instantly picked up how he overemphasized the word well, and how his eyes darted across to the old well house, near the Goshinboku. Souta seemed less concerned with what he was saying, and instead focused on whether or not he was leaving.

"Thanks a bunch!" he said, with a big fake smile as Kagome reached out and took the package. "Great seeing you."

The man ignored Souta and turned around to leave.

"Please feel free to never come back!" Souta called after him. He pulled the door back into place. "Man, Sis, talk about a creeper. How do they always find you?" Souta pretended to shudder.

Kagome wasn't listening though. She was busy looking at the thing in her hands. She had taken the cloth off. It was an old sword. It sure didn't look like much, but she got the distinct impression that it was very important.

The sword had captured Souta's attention too.

"Wow, Sis," he said a little breathless. "That's really old."

Kagome looked up at her brother.

"How do you know?" she asked, running her finger up the length of the rusty blade.

Souta snorted. "Because it's my passion and life's work?" he said quickly. "That thing is at least 500 years, if it's a day. I bet it's even older than that…but the metal is a little weird. I've never seen that kind."

Kagome held it up to the light. "Maybe it's a really good knock-off," she suggested. "I don't know why anyone would just give us something like this."

"Maybe it's cursed," Souta provided cheerfully.

"You sound as bad as Gramps," Kagome said, setting it down on the table.

"Whatever, that guy was clearly a nut job," Souta said, bringing himself to eye to eye with the sword on the table, "Rambling on about his brother and being a lord, or whatever."

Kagome looked back at the door, as if expecting him to still be there.

"He was a little strange," Kagome admitted. "But I think he wanted me to take the sword to the well house."

Souta glanced at his sister. She seemed oddly mesmerized by the weapon. Her eyes were sparkling and alive. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen her look like that. Not since before Gramps died…maybe even before that.

"Uh," Souta said, looking at Buyo the cat who had climbed on the table and had begun to chew on the sword. "Why?"

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed and she frowned. "I don't know…it just feels like where it belongs, or something."

Souta picked up Buyo. "Yeah, Kags, I don't know. Maybe you caught a case of the weirdos from that creep earlier. The whole thing seems crazy to me."

Kagome laughed just a little.

"You know," she said to Souta, "It seems a little crazy to me too. I just have… a vibe."

Souta grabbed the sword off the table and handed it to Kagome.

"This thing is giving me the willies," he said. "If it's in the well house, at least it's not in here with us."

Souta looked slightly uncomfortable. Whatever it was about the sword, he didn't like it. She could tell by his rigid posture.

"Let's take it out there together," he said defensively. "I don't think you should be alone with that thing."

Kagome smiled. Her brother was still trying to protect her.

"I'm sure it's not cursed, Souta," she said trying to sound reassuring.

"I'm not," said Souta seriously.

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~0~

_The Feudal Era_

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Inuyasha and Miroku walked along in silence. They were almost home. It had been nearly three weeks since they had left. The people that were sick in the village had really needed someone with medical skills, not a monk and a half-demon. They had done what they could, caring for the sick, which had been hard. For some reason the illness affected children much worse than adults. They had their fair share of graves that were far too small.

"It is so much harder to lose young life," Miroku said absently to Inuyasha as they finished their journey. Inuyasha knew he was thinking of Kohaku.

"Yeah?" he asked the monk absently. "Why do ya think that is?"

Miroku looked over the horizon, toward home. Inuyasha could tell he was thinking.

"It is the loss of potential. Of what might have been," he explained. "And usually, it is the loss of something innocent."

Inuyasha looked down at his nails. There was blood caked under them, except this time it wasn't from fighting.

"Aren't you glad Sango didn't come this time?" Inuyasha asked, thinking how hard it would have been for her.

Miroku tripped slightly and Inuyasha helped catch him. They were both exaughstd, but the monk was human and weaker. Even still, he had insisted in traveling through the night to get home to Sango and the others more quickly.

"I am, and I am not," Miroku said, righting himself and answering the question. "Her hands and skills would have been helpful for others…but I fear the toll it would have taken on her."

Inuyasha put his hands, bloody nails and all, in the folds of his haori where he wouldn't see them.

"Yeah," he agreed. He looked up. It was long past nightfall. Tomorrow would be the new moon. The stars were bright tonight though. He remembered in Kagome's time they had been so dull.

Kagome.

"What about you?" Miroku asked as if reading his thoughts. "Would you prefer to have Kagome now, or safe and untouchable in her modern village?"

Although Miroku asked the question in jest, Inuyasha still felt a sharp pain stab through him. He frequently wrestled with this very question, but it wasn't because he didn't know the answer.

"I would rather have her with me, for my sake," Inuyasha said honestly. "But I'd rather have her safe with her family…for her sake."

Miroku knew the subject was a hard one for him.

"I think that you want her safe for your sake as well, Inuyasha," Miroku said softly, putting a hand on his friends shoulder. Inuyasha wasn't expecting the touch and flinched. The monk quickly pulled his hand back, not wanting to make the other uncomfortable.

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~0~

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There was a light rap on the door.

"Mew," Kirara said as Sango sat up. She was by herself tonight. Kohaku had stayed with Kaede and Shippo.

The rap came again.

"Sango?" asked a soft familiar voice. It was Miroku.

"Miroku!" she said, fumbling to get up. "Come inside! It's the middle of the night!"

He entered quickly and she could see he was exaughstd.

"Where is Inuyasha?" she asked, concerned.

"No worries, my lady," he said as he sat down. "He has moved on. Tomorrow is the new moon and he would prefer to be somewhere more remote for its duration."

Sango built the fire up a little. "Are you hungry? There is still food from dinner. I can heat it up for you."

Miroku smiled. "I hate to be more work for you, Lady Sago, but that would be much appreciated."

She quickly had the food warmed and in front of him.

"Delicious, as always," he said with a small smile.

Sango sat down after doing some more menial tasks that they both knew were just as much about keeping her hands busy as having the tasks themselves complete.

They sat in silence awhile, while Miroku finished his meal.

"You were gone a great deal longer than I expected," Sango said with no emotion in her tone.

Miroku leaned back on his hands and gave her a small smile.

"Yes, I am sorry if you were worried," he told her apologetically. "The illness was worse than we anticipated. It spread very quickly. Inuyasha and I were very much needed."

Sango looked up to the ceiling. "I was very worried."

Miroku cocked his head. It was unusual for her to say such things. His heart soared a little in his chest. Somehow it seemed like a step in the right direction.

"There is no need to worry," Miroku said softly. "I know that my time will not come for a long while yet."

Sango looked at him.

"How can you know such things, Monk?" she asked very seriously.

He leaned over and took her hand in his. She didn't pull away, just looked at the union of their fingers.

With his other hand he tilted her head to look at him, "Because I have not yet had the chance to love you and be loved freely in return."

Sango closed her eyes and turned her head.

"Our time will come," he assured her.

She tried to brush away a tear as discreetly as she could.

"I am afraid you are wrong, Miroku," she said softly.

He said nothing, but he leaned over into the darkness where the fire did not reach and pulled his pack toward him. It was larger than usual.

"I brought you back a present," he told her. "I think you will like it. The village people gave it to me as a token of thanks."

It had been intended for the village leader's daughter who had died. Miroku didn't tell her that.

"What is it?" she asked shakily as he handed her a bundle.

"Open it and find out," he encouraged.

She looked at him, then down at the thing in her lap. It was wrapped in a sort of twine. She pulled at it until it fell open.

It was full of a pink fabric that was lined with white. She pulled it out of the package to get a better look.

"A new kimono?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Miroku smiled. "It's very pretty."

Miroku reached for his pack again, and turned it upside down on the floor in front of Sango. Out fell many more packages. Some were smaller, but there were clearly quite a few things there.

"Miroku!" she exclaimed. "What is all this?"

"Mostly more kimonos," he responded with a shrug. "They also gave us some rice and money. We were there a very long time. The village wanted to express their gratitude to us and those who waited for us. I suppose they thought Inuyasha must have someone as well, because they definitely gave us enough for two-"

Sango stopped him with a look.

"How did they know you had someone, Miroku?" she asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

He sort of snorted.

"Don't worry, Lady Sango," he said as he scooted away, in case she got mad, "they only assumed."

She set the kimono down. It was very pretty.

"Why would they assume such a thing?"

Miroku looked at her lap.

"I think it was because I talked about you a great deal," he said with more emotion than was warranted for such a response. Sango studied his features.

There was silence in the hut for quite a while. After an immodest amount of time, Miroku rose to leave.

"I apologize if I have made any presumptions that would make you uncomfortable, Lady Sango."

He gathered his things and she watched him. She frequently wondered how hard it must be to be the wise one. The one that was strong for everyone else. Since Kagome had left…

Kagome.

Her best friend.

Sango often berated herself for being so foolish. If Kagome were here she would tell her to love Miroku. To love him the way she wasn't able to love Inuyasha. With her whole heart, her whole being.

But it wasn't that simple. There was Kohaku. She loved her brother, too. And he needed her now. Another woman could love Miroku. Only she could help her brother.

She looked at Miroku, who was standing in the door. He was looking at her hard, and with concern.

"I take my leave," he said, his eyes soft and forgiving. "Sleep well, Lady."

He disappeared for a moment, but before he was out of earshot, she called his name.

"Miroku," she called out into the darkness. He reappeared almost instantly.

"You called?" he asked with concern. He clearly thought something was wrong.

She looked at him with all the love she wasn't able to give him. He saw it in her and his eyes grew wide. He moved to step forward.

"Don't," she said quickly. "I just wanted to tell you-"

"Yes?"

She looked at him.

"Monk, I am so sorry that I cannot love you the way you deserve," she practically whispered. Her eyes were full of tears and starlight.

He closed his mouth and bowed his head.

"Sango," he said first to the floor. Then he looked up at her. "I would wait a thousand years for your hand, and my love will never falter or fail. Our time will come."

He said the last part so slowly she almost didn't notice him leaving her in the night afterwards.

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~0~

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Inuyasha sat outside Sango and Kohaku's hut. He had followed the monk here. It wouldn't do to bring him all the way home only to have him mauled by a wild animal before he arrived at his destination.

Inuyasha had thought it strange Miroku went straight for Sango's hut in the middle of the night…but then again, he supposed, it wasn't that strange.

He had sat outside while they talked. He hadn't really meant to listen, but he couldn't really help it. Well, he probably could, but he didn't want to.

He was feeling nostalgic this evening. Seeing them together and getting along reminded him of a different time. A time before, when they had all been happier. It reminded him of Kagome.

Kagome.

He loved her. She knew that. He had never told her. He didn't need to. It would have been like telling her that grass was green or that water was wet. It just was.

He regretted it now, though. Maybe if she had known…maybe she would have come back.

He shook his head. He really had no way of knowing if there was a way for her to get back…but if there was, he wondered if she would take it. Eight years has passed. Eight. Miroku and Sango should have children. Hell, he should have children, if such a thing were possible.

He still missed her. He was used to it. It was always inside him, like a toothache or an itch he couldn't get to. He still wanted her as much as he had on that day eight years ago when she disappeared into the vortex that took her away.

He told himself that he really couldn't do right by her, not like she deserved. It was better she was home, with her family. The people she belonged to. She deserved to move on to better things than this.

The problem was she was the best thing he ever had.

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**A/N** – So, what did you think? I promise this story will not be such a killjoy. Right now it seems like everyone is unhappy, but not for long. I planned this to be an InuKag, MirSan, SesRin type of thing. So it will fallow all of those characters.

It is so fun to write this for you guys, I hope you are enjoying it. Next chapter Kagome goes back to the Feudal Era...and I have a surprise for you. Are you pumped? Ha-ha.

Anyway, like time I asked if you guys have any favorite InuKag stories, I am still looking for those! If you have one, let me know. Also, I have a question for you guys

What is your favorite pairings and why? I am thinking of maybe looking at some SessKag, or even KouKag! Let me know.


	3. New Beginnings

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**Homecoming**

**by Azulia**

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~0~

_The Feudal Era_

Morning came early the next day for Kaede. She was usually an early riser, but something had been bothering her lately. She felt like she had before the Bone Eater's Well had reopened. It was keeping her up at night, which was subsequently resulting in her later mornings.

She woke up Shippo and Kohaku to help her complete her usual chores. They made breakfast and started another long day of looking after others, replenishing supplies, trying to tend to her own small hut and looking after the broken people around her that needed her care.

Kohaku. Sango. Shippo. Miroku. Inuyasha. They all had heavy burdens to bear. Each of them were wrestling with inner demons that were strong. Kaede had dedicated herself to helping them find their way since Kagome had left. She did it for Kagome, but also for Kikyo. If the late priestess had been herself, it would have been what she wanted, to make amends.

In short, Kaede was a _very_ tired old woman.

Today, Shippo was her main concern. She watched the kit as he went to fetch another bucket of water. He was similar to Miroku in his desire to be strong for everyone else, especially Kohaku who he treated like a brother. She had been watching him closely lately, and she could see that his strength was weaning. Sometimes his façade would slip and she would see a scared little boy who wanted somewhere to belong.

And that was the main problem. For eight years Shippo had followed Inuyasha and Miroku around after Kagome left. But Inuyasha had no home, and Miroku only truly lived for Sango. There was no place for a kit on the brink of manhood at either of those places. He mostly stayed with Kaede, but she could tell he needed a real place, a real father or brother, and a real mother.

Kaede smiled at him as he came back with the pale of water. He was very quick, for a demon. She gave him a gardening tool and asked him to turn the garden. Shippo took his new task with a smile and went out back.

He was almost a teenager now. Kaede feared that he would never have the upbringing he so clearly wanted.

Kaede looked out over the village she had served for so many years. Many things were coming. Her old bones weren't what they used to be. She was going to have a hard time taking care of herself very soon, let alone everyone else.

She went back outside to check on Shippo who was doing an excellent job. Kohaku was nowhere to be found. She gathered her mending to work on in the warm sunlight, to be near the kit, but inside she still felt uneasy.

Soon, it would be time. Soon she would need a successor. The thought of facing the next winter on her own made her shudder.

"Shippo?" she asked, breaking him from his work.

"Yes?" he asked, looking up. There was dirt smudged across his face.

Kaede paused a moment before she spoke, she was clearly thinking. She looked up, her mind clearly made up.

"Go round and fetch the villager leaders," she said spontaneously, a wise old look in her eyes. "Tell them to gather the others in the middle of the village before dusk. Have everyone bring something to share. I have good news for the town's people. There has been precious little for our village to celebrate the last eight years, but this evening we will."

Shippo looked at her with curiosity.

"What are we celebrating?" he asked with a childlike curiosity

Kaede smiled and looked toward the sky.

"Why can't ye guess?" she asked mysteriously with a smile, "new beginnings, of course."

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~0~

_Modern Tokyo_

"Really, Sis?" Souta asked with impatience as Kagome finished up the dishes. "That couldn't wait until after we chucked this thing into the well?"

She smiled at him as she wiped her hands off.

"I don't like to leave things like that unfinished," she said, taking off Mama's old yellow apron and hanging in on the peg near the door. "Have you still got that old rusty piece of junk?"

Souta nodded his head, indicating the old sword, Tetsaiga, on their dinner table.

"It hasn't grown legs and walked off…yet," he said, looking at it suspiciously. "I still think that the sooner it's out of the house the better off we'll both be."

Kagome slipped on her black flats and a pale yellow sweater. It was a little windy out today. The last things she needed to do was give herself a cold.

"Are you ready?" she asked as Buyo came over and started kneading on her calf. She reached for the sword, but Souta stopped her.

"Why don't I carry the scary mysterious antique?" he asked. She shrugged and picked up the cat, which was meowing like crazy.

"See?" Souta said as he held the sword out from him as far as it would go. "Buyo hates the damn thing too. You know, they say that pets have a sixth sense about these things."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "He's just acting up because he hasn't been fed yet," she said, giving Buyo and nice pet. "You know how he gets grouchy around dinner time."

Souta mumbled something under his breath as she followed him out of the house and into the direction of the well.

"It's almost dark," she said, looking toward the sky. Souta was too busy on touching the sword as little as possible to really listen. "It looks like we could be in for a nasty storm."

Still, Souta was too preoccupied. She took to cuddling the cat instead.

As they took the familiar path through the shrine, Kagome felt her eyes being drawn to the old tree that sat on their property. It was very large and twisted. She would sometimes wonder how old it was, and what kind of stories it would tell if it could.

She sighed.

"Hey, Sis," Souta called from in front of her. He had been speed walking and beat her to the well house. "Would you get the door? I'm a little tied up right now."

"No problem," she said with laughter. "You're the one carrying the possessed sword. The least I can do is open the door for you. "

Kagome jogged a few steps and pulled the door open for her brother. As soon as she did, dust blew out at them in a large cloud that left Souta coughing and Buyo hacking up a fur ball.

"Wow," she said, mostly unaffected by the stuff. "I didn't think it was that long since we'd been in here."

Souta finished his coughing spell. "I think when Gramps died was the last time I bothered visiting," he said with a shrug. "I guess I just stopped believing in wishing wells."

Kagome didn't respond. He was right. Life was hard, but it was life. They both had been through rough patches. The old well house didn't bring the same comfort it had been they were children.

"Sooo," Souta said, looking around. "Where do you want to put this thing?"

"Oh," she said, suddenly unsure. "I don't know-"

But before she could finish her sentence, Buyo jumped out of her arms, scratching her and dodging away.

"Ouch," she said, noting he hadn't drawn any blood. "What's wrong Buyo? Did you see a mouse?"

But the cat had not seen a mouse. In fact, it was sitting on top of the sealed well.

"Meow." It said, looking grumpy. "Meow."

Souta looked over at her.

"I think you need to get that cat checked," he said standing back, "because it's acting a little weird."

Souta was right. Buyo was almost looking at them expectantly. Kagome cocked her head at him.

"Meow," said the cat for the umpteenth time. He stood up and began to scratch the wood panels that covered the well.

"Stop that," Souta said, setting the sword on the well and reaching for Buyo. "You are going to fall through and kill yourself. Then Kagome really will have a nervous breakdown-"

Just as Souta put a little weight against the side of the well, all hell broke loose.

_Crack_

The entire well caved in, in another spectacular display of dust.

In an instant, down fell the Buyo, Souta and the sword.

Kagome screamed.

"Souta?" she yelled, frantically throwing herself to the large hole in the ground where the well used to be. "Are you alright? Is Buyo alright?"

She peered down. She couldn't see anything, it was completely dark.

There was some groaning, but no answer. Then, when she thought things couldn't get any stranger, they did.

A strange blue light burst out of the well and sucking the air around her. Dirt and debris all flew by her and into the hole.

Kagome starred.

She knew she should be screaming, or going for help, but instead she just watched. There was something so familiar about the light. It seemed…it seemed like it was calling her. Like an old friend.

She stood up walked as close to the edge of the well as she could without being sucked in. There was no sign of her brother or the cat. This was something she knew…but she didn't remember how. She closed her eyes.

Every fiber of her being was telling her to jump.

She looked down again. The light was still there. And it had taken her brother. And her cat…And her sword, for that matter.

She had already lost her mother, and her father and her grandfather. She was not losing Souta too.

In an instant she made up her mind and found her resolve.

"Here I come, little brother," she said right before she held her breath. She closed her eyes and said a little prayer for whoever was listening.

Then, she jumped.

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~0~

_The Feudal Era_

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The evening came sooner than Kaede anticipated. She always thought the days got shorter as she got older. The village had gathered and was having a grand time. Everyone was eating and talking. The worries of the day seemed to slip away. There had been a good harvest this year. Really, the whole village had much to be grateful for.

Kaede watched the festivities, and made her way around the people she knew so well and loved her. She was pleased to see that Sango and Miroku had made it; they were sitting together with Kohaku, who sat between them looking miserable.

Kaede watched Shippo disappear with one of the town girls awhile back. She shook her head thinking about how the fairer set enjoyed his company.

Inuyasha, however, was not there. It was the night of the new moon. She suspected he would be off in some remote, secret place where no one would be able to find him. She was almost glad he wasn't there. He would have made her think of Kikyo and Kagome, of the women that should have been by her side, or helped her retire years before. She didn't harbor any resentment, she was just weary.

"Lady Kaede!" called one of the village leaders, merriment evident in his voice, people laughing all around him. "You have gathered us together to celebrate new beginnings. Will you enlighten us to what spurred your will?"

Kaede smiled. It was time. She got up and cleared her throat. The people around her all stopped talking and a hush fell over the crowd. They began migrating around her, making a circle but giving her some distance.

Kaede waited until they were settled.

"I am glad that ye all came tonight," she started, looking at them all fondly. "We are celebrating new beginnings because they are a very exciting part about the circle of life."

She gave them a warm smile.

"But, as ye all know," she continued, letting her features grow serious, "every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end."

A soft murmur fell upon the town.

"What I would ask of all of ye," she said in a very practical manner. "Is that you respect this old woman's wishes and help her to find a worthy apprentice; someone that will carry on in my stead when I am no longer able to do so."

Now the murmur wasn't soft. It was hard. Like a fat bee in spring, looking greedy for the choicest flower.

"Are you ill, Lady Kaede?" asked a particularly concerned villager.

"No more than anyone at my age," she responded with grace.

"Where will we find such a person?" asked a villager in the back. "There are none with spiritual powers in our area."

Kaede bowed her head at the gentleman in a nod.

"Aye, there are not," she acknowledged. "But we shall spread the word of what we seek, and fortune will be kind to us in return. I am sure."

The crowd was still talking, but had calmed some.

"Do not fear," Kaede said with a grandmotherly softness. "As long as I am able, there will always be aid for those who seek it."

There was a pause as everyone took in what was going on.

"To the Priestess Kaede!" called a woman from somewhere. "Her years of devotion and kindness have served our village well!"

"Aye!" said another, "to the Priestess Kaede."

"Tonight we honor her!"

"Hear hear."

Then, Kaede was sheepishly lifted onto the shoulders of two strong villagers and walked around while people cheered for her and all that she had done for them.

In the distance Sango and Miroku watched silently.

"Did you think this was coming?" Sango asked Miroku, who was eating something on a stick.

Miroku looked at her with a shrug.

"It is inevitable, I suppose," he said with some sadness. "Lady Kaede is getting along in years and she contributes a great deal to this community. She is probably worn out."

Sango nodded.

"I like Lady Kaede," said Kohaku, surprising them all.

Sango looked at him with surprised. Kohaku never said much, but when he did it wasn't to tell anyone about something he _liked_.

Sango reached out and took his hand and smiled. He looked at her blankly.

Miroku watched the exchanged silently. He could see that it was hurting Sango.

"The moon is already out," he said, changing the subject. "I hope Inuyasha is safe. It is unfortunate he couldn't be here tonight."

"I wonder where he goes," Sango remarked, following Miroku's lead.

Miroku smiled.

"I'm sure it's not very far," he said knowingly.

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~0~

_The Feudal Era…barely_

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Kagome was weightless; the air around her was electric. She seemed to be floating. She was terrified, but part of her knew that it would be okay. She was still holding her breath.

Then, it was over as soon as it started. She was in the bottom of a pit. And she wasn't alone. She inhaled.

"Shit," Souta said next to her. "What the hell was that?"

"Souta!" she said, reaching out to him, but missing. "Are you okay?"

"Over here, Sis," her little brother said, crawling towards her. "I'm okay. I think we're still the bottom of the well."

There was moonlight pouring in from the sky above.

"What just happened?" Kagome asked to no one in particular.

Souta sort of made a strangled noise.

"Our cat tricked us into some sort of portal, which filled with weird light and dropped us off in a dry well that I'm pretty sure we just watched fall to pieces a second ago." He looked up at her. "Oh, or did I just hallucinate all of that?"

Kagome was only half listening. She was looking up wondering how they were going to get out.

"Sis?" Souta asked. "Earth to Kagome. Did you hit your head?"

She gathered herself.

"This looks so familiar," she said more to herself than to him.

"Hey," Souta said, standing up, "have you seen the cat?"

That seemed to pull Kagome out of her reverie.

"Buyo?" she asked, suddenly concerned, looking for the feline. "BUYO!"

"Meeeow," the cat called from a dark corner of the well. "Meow."

"There you are!" she exclaimed, picking him up.

"Is the sword around?" Souta asked suspiciously.

Kagome looked about and Souta shuffled around, feeling the ground with his feet.

"It's not here," she said, somehow disappointed. Souta snorted.

"I told you that thing wasn't right," he said with a smug tone. "Now how are we going to get the hell out of here?"

Kagome looked back up to the sky where the stars were so bright.

"Grab a vine and climb," she said. "And stop swearing. What has gotten into you?"

Souta snorted, but grabbed a vine and stated to ascend.

"Here," said Kagome, lifting up the cat. "Take Buyo or he'll never get out."

Souta looked down at her with a brotherly disgust.

"Why do I have to take the cat?" he asked, looking at Buyo with disdain.

Kagome smacked him, "because you're the one who broke the well. Now climb!"

"Excuse me," he retorted. "I think it was the cat, or even the sword, that broke the well. Not poor innocent Souta."

Kagome glared at him, grateful he seemed to be okay. He stuck his tongue out at her. Her eyes narrowed.

Souta grinned and scurried up with surprising ease before she could do anything in return. Kagome followed a little more slowly. In no time at all Souta was pulling himself over the edge.

"Uh, Sis," he said with a trace of fear in his voice. "I think we could have a problem."

Kagome had almost caught up with him and was pulling herself up the last few inches. Souta leaned over to help pull her through. She noticed his face was pale and he looked very concerned.

"What is it?" she asked with a twinge. "Did something happen to the shrine?"

Souta help her stand up.

"Well," he said, looking at the vast expanse of grass and forest around them. "I guess you could say that."

Kagome straightened up and could instantly see what he meant. There was no shrine. There was no anything. Tokyo was missing.

"Where are we?" asked Souta, breathless. Kagome was confused, but something inside of her was calm.

"I think," she started slowly, as if waiting for a thought to occur to her. "I think the question is _when_ are we?"

Souta looked at his sister and blanched.

"Meow," said Buyo from their feet.

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~0~

_Kaede's Village_

The festivities were in full swing. What had started as an excuse to make her announcement had turned into a celebration of the priestess Kaede. Everyone was happy and full. The night was beautiful and clear. Sango and Miroku were getting along; Shippo was dividing his time with Kohaku and entertaining the villagers with his tricks.

Then it happened. A shift so familiar and frightening Kaede almost forgot what it felt like. It startled her old bones. A hope rose up in her, which she quickly squelched.

It felt like the Bone Eaters well had opened to let someone through. Which meant…

Kagome.

Or something else. Something worse.

Either way she had to prepare. She slipped away silently, seeking her old trusty bow and arrows. When she returned everyone was as she had left them, gay and oblivious. She hated to end their merriment, and she wouldn't have to. She needed strong warriors to accompany her just in case something sinister, like Madam Centipede, managed to work their way out of the enchanted well.

Eight years previously she would have saddled up the strongest men in the village. These days she had a monk, a demon slayer and her fire cat, a kitsune and (usually) a half demon at her disposal. The other villagers need not fear for their lives tonight, not if she could help it.

She sought them out. They were sitting together, so it wasn't hard.

"Greetings," she said hurriedly. "I must ask a favor of ye this evening."

They looked at her with no surprise or questioning.

"What do you require, Lady Kaede?" asked Sango in her even manner. Kaede looked around to make sure no one was listening in.

"I need ye to go to the old Bone Eaters well, outside Inuyasha's forest," she said in a quick whisper. "I fear something has come through. It could be a great demon to open the portal after so long-"

"I didn't sense an aura," Sango blurted.

"Is it possible it could be the Lady Kagome?" Miroku asked, uncharacteristically interrupting as well.

Kaede paused. She had thought they might react like this.

"It could," she reasoned. "However, I would not raise ye hopes."

"What about Inuyasha?" asked Shippo, butting in. "Shouldn't he-"

"There is no time," Kaede said. "We know not his location. If it is a demon, it could be upon us, taking lives, at any moment. I must urge ye to see to the well with haste."

The group looked amongst themselves. This was incredibly unexpected. Hope shone on the kits face, but the others did not look so pleased.

"We will leave immediately," Sango said as Kirara transformed. "If it is a demon, we will see it finished."

Kaede nodded.

"I will come with ye," she said with determination.

"No," said Miroku reasonably. "Stay here with the villagers or they will suspect something is amiss. Besides, if something were to befall one of us we would require your healing arts."

Kaede did not look pleased, but she backed away slightly. In the past she would have not heard of being left behind from an encounter that threatened her village.

"Alright," she said with an old sort of wisdom after a moment of thought. "You be quick. I will begin to send the villagers back to their homes to safety."

"Good luck with that," Sango said as Kirara began to take flight. She looked toward her brother. "Kohaku, you stay with Kaede, make sure she has all the help she needs."

Kohaku, who had looked eager to go, let his body fall with disappointment.

"As you wish, Sister," he said in a monotone. "Come Kaede, some of the villagers are quite drunk and might be unruly."

Kaede and Kohaku watched as the others disappeared into the night.

"I pray I am wrong," she muttered to herself. "Let it be her. So they can all begin to heal."

Kohaku stood by her side, looking in the direction his sister had gone. Kaede beckoned him and they joined the town's people, to bring the evening to an end.

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**A/N-** So I know I promised an update today, and here it is. Barely. Sorry it is so late. I am doing a maymester right now and it occupies a great deal of time. Thank you to all of you that have reviewed so far.

Is anyone surprised I sent Souta and Buyo down the well too? I am really excited about working with them later. I think the rapport with Souta and Inuyasha/Kouga/Kohaku/Shippo/Sess/Miroku is going to be a fun dynamic.

Oh, and I haven't forgotten any of you Sess/Rin fans out there. That will be coming up in future chapters too. Yay!

In case you guys haven't noticed, Kagome and Souta don't remember anything about the well and the feudal era. It's going to make the next chapter really interesting.

Next chapter the old gang gets back together. And boy, isn't Inuyasha going to be surprised? Actually, I have a question for you guys.

How do you think Inuyasha is going to react to Kagome being back and not remembering? How would you react?

Anyway, I'll catch you next chapter which should be up soon!

Love you all,

Azulia


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